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Tottenham could soon witness another January exit after goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, with reliable journalist Alasdair Gold sharing news on a high-earner's future.

Lloris set to leave Spurs after 11 years

Just over 11 years after he signed for Spurs, veteran shot-stopper Lloris will bring an end to his N17 career by putting pen to paper on a move to MLS side Los Angeles FC.

Journalist says "rapid" 25-year-old is now "keen" to join Ange at Spurs

He’s a target for the Lilywhites ahead of January.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 29, 2023

Fabrizio Romano has given his famous "here we go" to the transfer, with Lloris set to sign a one-year deal at LAFC plus options to extend his stay by additional years.

The Frenchman made 444 appearances in all competitions for Tottenham (Transfermarkt), reaching a Champions League final with the club and standing out as their first-choice keeper for many seasons before the arrival of Guglielmo Vicario.

However, his faithful service has now been brought to an end, and Lilywhites supporters will look back on his contribution with real appreciation after over a decade of solid performances.

Trevoh Chalobah

20th December

Jean-Clair Todibo

20th December

Morato

19th December

Radu Dragusin

16th December

Sebastian Caceres

14th December

Jarrad Branthwaite

13th December

From a business perspective, Spurs will perhaps be happy to get a high-earning player off the books and free up space for new January arrivals.

As per The Telegraph, departures will be a key component of manager Ange Postecoglou's transfer window, with Tottenham looking to sign a centre-back, winger and midfielder.

Perisic "keen" to leave Spurs after Lloris

The north Londoners, according to football.london correspondent Gold, will also be hoping to offload Spurs attacker Ivan Perisic after Lloris.

It is believed Perisic is "keen" on a move to Hajduk Split in January, despite the Croatian being unable to return from injury until the final weeks of the season.

Perisic could apparently make the move to Split and chairman Daniel Levy, if the transfer materialises, may be able to get the 34-year-old's reported £180,000-per-week salary off Tottenham's books (Spotrac). Gold's report even alleges that Spurs "will be hoping" the wide-man is able to make a move happen.

The former Inter Milan star impressed in flashes this campaign before his season-ending injury, and former Spurs boss Antonio Conte heaped praise on Perisic after the club signed him last year.

"It is very important we sign a player like Ivan Perisic," said Conte in the summer of 2022.

“We are talking about a real important player and top player. Sometimes it is good to bring a player in your team who is a bit over age but at the same time a good player with experience who can improve a young player in your squad.”

The 2023/24 Premier League season has been another one to forget for Chelsea fans, and it has only just crossed the halfway point.

The massive spending in the summer and the appointment of former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has done little to improve upon the poor performances of last year and if anything, the side look worse.

Aside from Cole Palmer and potentially Đorđe Petrović, it would be hard to describe any of the summer signings as successes, and with the January window now open and Benfica's Antonio Silva heavily touted for a move to Stamford Bridge, Axel Disasi could be about to lose his place in the starting XI – if not the entire club

Chelsea transfer news – Antonio Silva

According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola (via Sport Witness), Chelsea are incredibly interested in Benfica's promising young centre-back Silva and have even made an offer in the region of €60m, which is about £52m.

However, the Portuguese giants swiftly rejected the proposal, and as such, the Blues have reportedly 'found the door firmly closed on them'.

That said, while the report is clear that the Eagles do not want to sell their star defender midway through the season, there is said to be a €100m – £86m – release clause in his contract, which the club have 'pointed to' as Chelsea and Manchester United have persisted in their interest.

It is going to take a serious effort from Todd Boehly and Co to get this deal over the line this month without paying for the full release clause.

Still, based on Chelsea's actions in the market in past years, they might just be able to get it done – to the detriment of current starter Disasi.

Axel Disasi could lose his place in the team to Antonio Silva

The 25-year-old Frenchman only joined the Blues in the summer from Ligue 1 side AS Monaco, but he has already become one of the first names on the team sheet for Pochettino, starting 90% of Chelsea's Premier League games and 100% of cup games.

Yet, despite his seeming importance to the manager's set-up, he has not been all that impressive. In fact, he has been poor for much of the season, with talkSPORT pundit Andy Jacobs labelling him a "disaster" earlier in the season and former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand claiming that he wouldn't play him next season on his podcast, FIVE.

Now, players can often struggle in their first season in the Premier League, and so perhaps next year, when he has had time to acclimatise to the league, he'll be far more impressive and be able to justify his place in the XI, although at a team like Chelsea, in the state that they are in, he might not get that chance, especially if Silva comes in.

That said, how do the pair's underlying numbers compare? Is there a significant difference between them, or is this a classic case of the grass always being greener on the other side?

Unfortunately for Disasi, there is a difference and a marked one at that.

The Portuguese "smooth operator", as U23 scout Antonio Mango dubbed him, comes out on top in every critical metric and by quite some way in a few of them.

Stats per 90

Silva

Disasi

Progressive Passes

4.47

4.12

Progressive Carries

1.07

1.02

Passing Accuracy

92.5%

89.7%

Shot-Creating Actions

0.87

0.45

Tackles Won

1.80

0.68

Blocks

2.07

0.79

Interceptions

0.60

0.56

Clearances

3.47

3.28

Aerial Duels Wn

2.37

2.13

All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season

He wins far more tackles, makes more blocks, interceptions and clearances, wins more aerial duels than Disasi, and he's also more of a goal threat as he produces more shot-creating actions and progressive passes per 90 than the Frenchman.

Ultimately, this would be an expensive deal to complete, and while it could be seen as harsh on the former Monaco man, if Chelsea have the chance to sign a player Mango described as being "born to play football", then they must take it.

Arne Slot is preparing for his final game for as Feyenoord boss on Sunday ahead of his move to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.

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Slot confirmed on Friday he will replace KloppFeyenoord host Excelsior on SundayHe won the league and cup during three years in RotterdamWHAT HAPPENED?

Feyenoord have said an emotional farewell to Anfield-bound Arne Slot on social media. The Dutchman confirmed last week that he will replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and the 45-year-old will take charge of his final match for the Eredivisie side on Sunday afternoon when they host Excelsior.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPWHAT FEYENOORD SAID

Feyenoord's classy video said: "Every beginning has an end. Every end has a beginning. But the memories we made? They will last. Forever. From Drita to Tirana. From Rome to Madrid,. From De Kuip to the Coolsingel. We built up, and chased down.

"We experienced thrilling final minutes and historic Klassiekers. We stood strong. In Rotterdam. In The Netherlands. At Europe's highest stage. We received compliments and won prizes. Now, we're letting you go, Arne. With pride, we'll build on the foundation you laid.

"Thank you for everything. For winning both the league and the cup. Thanks for the football. For the memories. Walk on, coach. With us in your heart. But remember one thing: Making memories."

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Slot departs De Kuip after three seasons in charge, during which he led them to last season's Eredivisie title and won the KNVB Cup last month. After being knocked back by Xabi Alonso, Liverpool turned their attention to Slot in their search for Jurgen Klopp's replacement, with the Dutchman confirming in a press conference on Friday that he will be the new Liverpool boss. Klopp takes charge of the Reds for the final time on Sunday at home to Wolves.

Former England spinner on suffering from “paranoia/schizophrenia” and setting the record straight with his new book

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-2019Former England spinner Monty Panesar has spoken in depth about his mental health issues, describing the shock of being diagnosed with “paranoia/schizophrenia”. The 37-year-old now believes he has put his problems behind him and remains hopeful that he can win a return to first-class cricket despite being without a club since 2016.Panesar was an England regular during the mid-to-late 2000s but suffered from bouts of depression and drinking to excess. He was released by Sussex in 2013 after a late-night incident that involved urinating on a bouncer outside a club and although he was included on the subsequent Ashes tour, he played his final match for England during that year’s Boxing Day Test at the MCG.Speaking to Nasser Hussain, the former England captain, in an interview with the , Panesar talked about his battle with depression and his hopes for a comeback. He revealed that he had consulted another former England captain Mike Brearley, who is also a qualified psychologist, about his mental health.”My parents became worried,” he said. “They wanted me to see someone. I had always thought strong people couldn’t have a problem. I was always the guy who would win games, who had everything in order.”My cricket had always gone the way I had planned it, but suddenly things started going in a direction I hadn’t experienced since childhood. It had all been up, up, up but this was new territory mentally.”It was a guy called Peter Gilmore who said I was suffering from paranoia/schizophrenia and that shocked me massively. Mike Brearley told me to be careful about the things I was saying to myself. Some experts thought I’d never get better but I knew I could fight it, come through it.”Having left Sussex, Panesar had further run-ins with the management at Essex, before returning for a brief spell at Northamptonshire, where he originally rose to England prominence. He has now written an autobiography, , detailing his experiences and said he is determined to give his playing career “one more go”.”It was difficult,” he said. “Everyone was doubting me. I spoke to [former wicketkeeper turned mentor] Neil Burns and he told me everyone thought I’d gone off the rails. He told me there were so many rumours and I had to put the record straight. I tried to do a couple of interviews to get the message out that I’d had problems, but I was on the way back.”Now the book will hopefully get everything out there. I love the game. I’m not a bad egg in the dressing room, I’m actually a nice guy. I want people to remember the good Monty, but it takes a while to eradicate bad memories. It’s like I’m a fireball and people are worried that if they get too close to me they’ll get burnt.”I don’t need medication. I don’t drink. I don’t have good and bad days. All of those things have gone. There was a moment I was at Northampton about 18 months ago and I looked around and thought, ‘Wow, those paranoid thoughts are not there any more’. I knew then Monty was back. I’m going to be a cricketer again. I’m going to do it.”

U.S. international Johnny Cardoso has been nominated for La Liga's Young Player of the Year award amid transfer interest from Barcelona.

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Johnny nominated for La Liga awardLinked with Barcelona transferSet to star at Copa AmericaWHAT HAPPENED?

Alongside Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid's Rodrygo, Cardoso has found himself as a contender for the esteemed Young Player of the Year award across La Liga. Despite arriving just five months ago, he's showed that he is already one of the hottest prospects in Spain.

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Johnny has had a sensational stretch of form with Real Betis, being one of the top midfielders in La Liga across the second half of the campaign. The 22-year-old has one goal and two assists from a deep lying midfield spot, and his performances in the center of the pitch have even garnered attention from some of the top clubs in Europe. Barcelona even have their eyes on him as he continues to impress.

DID YOU KNOW?

Cardoso is a dual-national with Brazil and the USA, but opted to represent the USMNT when they came calling. He has 11 international caps.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR JOHNNY?

Johnny has two matches left in the campaign for Real Betis, with games against Real Sociedad and Real Madrid. Then, he'll turn his attention towards representing the USMNT this summer at the Copa America.

Skipper Steven Mullaney guides Outlaws to victory with half-century after bowlers contain Yorkshire

ECB Reporters Network28-Apr-2019Nottinghamshire made it five wins out of five in the Royal London One-Day Cup as they swept aside Yorkshire by four wickets at Trent Bridge.A disciplined performance from their bowling unit dismissed the visitors for only 213 in 42.2 overs, despite Adam Lyth and Harry Brook adding 107 for the second wicket.Brook made 39 but was followed back to the pavilion by his partner two balls later, for 63, heralding the start of a dramatic collapse with Jake Ball the pick of the Notts bowlers, taking 3 for 32.Notts romped to their victory target with more than 15 overs to spare, with Steven Mullaney unbeaten on 54, after Mathew Pillans took 3 for 57 for the Vikings.A crowd of 14,478 celebrated Nottinghamshire’s Annual Family Fun Day, a record attendance for domestic cricket at Trent Bridge, according to the club. Many of them had barely taken their seat before Notts struck a major blow, with Matt Carter removing Tom Kohler-Cadmore for nought, after the Vikings had opted to bat first.Lyth and Brook rebuilt with some purposeful running and crisp driving, although the former should have been caught in the deep by Joe Clarke on 35.Returning for a second spell, Carter undid Brook with a clever piece of bowling. The off-spinner followed a loopy, well-flighted ball with a quicker one that burst through the defences and bowled the right-hander.From the other end, Samit Patel had Lyth – who had reached his 50 from 44 balls, with five fours and two sixes – caught behind when cutting.Wickets fell at regular intervals from then on. Gary Ballance was starting to look set until taken by a magnificent leaping catch on the boundary by Carter, off Ball.Luke Fletcher added two more wickets, taking his tally for the competition to 15 already, as the Vikings innings folded with 7.4 overs remaining.Only a flurry of early wickets was likely to derail the Outlaws’ run chase but Chris Nash and Clarke offered little encouragement in adding 75 in the opening 10.5 overs.A brilliant one-handed catch by Pillans ended the stand, sending back Nash for 35. Pillans sent down a fiery burst, which removed Ben Duckett and Jake Libby with consecutive deliveries, before also pinning Clarke lbw for 40.From 121 for 4, the hosts were indebted to their skipper for guiding them through to the finishing line. Mullaney reached his fifty with two huge blows off Pillans, getting there from 55 balls, with four fours and three sixes.The victory keeps Notts ahead of the chasing pack at the top of the North Group, with Yorkshire’s hopes of advancing to the next phase now only a mathematical possibility.

Celtic are in a positive position heading into the second half of the campaign; however, they could now face a fight on their hands to retain a key first-team man, according to a new report.

Celtic up and running in January…

Despite repeated sentiment from Brendan Rodgers regarding his pursuit of quality reinforcements this month, Celtic have endured a quiet transfer window; nevertheless, they finally look to have sprung into action in the last few days.

Taking to social media platform X, Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has confirmed that Rapid Vienna winger Nicolas Kuhn is now close to joining the Scottish Premiership champions and will travel to complete a medical before being announced as their first January signing, as he stated below:

An alternative report claims that Bologna striker Sydney van Hooijdonk could also be set to join the Hoops once the Serie A outfit ratify a deal to bring in Velez Sarsfield striker Santiago Castro. Rocco Vata is of interest to the Italian outfit, which could pave the way for smoother negotiations on both sides.

Of course, a striker has become paramount to Rodgers' January transfer strategy in light of Oh Hyeon-gyu, Daizen Maeda and Yang Hyun-jun being involved at the Asian Cup. Kyogo Furuhashi is the only recognised striker at the club and is likely to need support over the coming weeks.

Celtic to spring out of nowhere for “flamboyant” £3.4m target – report

It’s been quiet on the transfer front for months, but Celtic could now come alive.

ByDavid Comerford Jan 13, 2024

Nonetheless, another prolific attacker could potentially leave the club this month as his career in Glasgow has taken yet another turn, according to a report.

Liel Abada could leave Celtic…

According to Football Insider reporter Wayne Veysey, there is a possibility that Liel Abada could depart Celtic before the end of the month due to the imminent arrival of Rapid Vienna attacker Kuhn. The Israel international attracted "significant interest" from other clubs during the last window but ended up signing a new four-year contract in the summer, so this is another transfer twist.

In the copy, it suggests that the two-time Scottish champion could look to move on if an appropriate offer were to arise for his services.

Liel Abada's numbers at Celtic – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

108

Goals

29

Assists

21

Liel Abada's strengths and weaknesses – (WhoScored)

Strengths

Weaknesses

Key passes

Aerial duels

Headed attempts

Defensive contribution

There has been a notion among some that the pro-Palestinian sentiment of some Hoops supporters may play a part in any prospective exit; nevertheless, it is unclear whether there is any defined truth in that statement.

Labelled "ambitious" by former boss Ange Postecoglou, Abada has made just seven appearances this campaign due to injury problems, registering one goal and a solitary assist (Abada statistics – Transfermarkt).

Celtic are in the midst of a battle with Rangers to try and claim the Scottish Premiership title and should look to reject any advances for the player due to his importance to the side and ruthless streak in front of the target.

“It’s pretty fair to say some of the boys are a bit disappointed with their batting at the top,” he said about their batting against West Indies

Melinda Farrell08-Jun-20194:18

Agarkar: India favourites against Australia, but only just

Ricky Ponting has expressed concern over the mindset of some of Australia’s batsmen despite the 15-run victory over West Indies in their group match. Australia lost five wickets for just 79 runs in the face of fast and aggressive short-pitched bowling before Steven Smith partnered with Alex Carey and Nathan Coulter-Nile to steady the innings.”It’s pretty fair to say some of the boys are a bit disappointed with their batting at the top,” Ponting said. “But listening to Steve Smith talk about it as well, the wicket was a little bit more uneven than what we thought it might have been, you could see a lot of uneven bounce with the shorter ball in particular.”The boys found it difficult to play the ball off the back foot. Yes, they led to a couple of dismissals, but it was more the follow-up balls and the mindset around how we played some of the short pitched bowling today that was the biggest concern.”Of particular concern to Ponting was that Usman Khawaja was struck twice by short balls. On the second occasion, he was attempting to pull Andre Russell and he was out edging a loose drive on the next delivery. Khawaja was also hit on the grille of his helmet facing Russell during Australia’s warm-up match against West Indies in Southampton and underwent scans on his jaw. Ponting said he hoped to find out if there was an underlying issue.”That’s a big part of my role now – I’m not going to teach him how to play a cover drive or a pull shot, I need to know what’s going through his mind in moments like that. What leads to that thinking about playing a shot like that. If I can help in some way just to get him through a situation like that and give him something else or something different to think about, I think that’s a huge part of coaching.”I thought he’s looked really good. He started his innings really well today, he punched one down the ground for four early on. He got hit in the head. I’m more concerned to what led to him playing that shot. What was he thinking? Was he expecting another short ball? Was he going to try to help it over backward point? What was he thinking? I’ll get to the bottom of it in the next 48 hours.”India’s bowling attack will present a different challenge to Australia’s batsmen at The Oval on Sunday. After a six-month period in which Australia and India have met in five Tests and five ODIs there will be some familiarity in the contest. But Ponting said that has only increased the Australians’ respect for Jasprit Bumrah, in particular.”I think everyone has learnt he’s probably one of the best fast bowlers in the world with a white or a red ball,” Ponting said. “They’ve learnt he can surprise you with pace. They’ve learnt his control is outstanding as well, which is why he’s one of the leading fast bowlers in the world.”We’ll need to be well prepared for him and I’m sure the boys will be, having played as much as they have against him during the summer.”They also pose some pretty strong threats with the spinners as well. They were both pretty good the other day – [Yuzvendra] Chahal and Kuldeep [Yadav]. There’s some work for the boys to do. More a mindset thing. I’ve been really happy with the skills I’ve seen from all the boys, it’s just about getting the mindset right and getting the adaptation of that mindset right between what you need at different times in the game and playing accordingly.”Ponting has been closely involved with several players in the India squad, thanks to coaching stints with Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals in the IPL. When asked if that gave him any insights he could pass on to the Australian players, he made a wry reference to Shane Warne’s comments in the that questioned Ponting’s involvement in the 2019 tournament on the grounds of conflict of interest.”I’m going to say I didn’t learn anything about any of the Indian batsmen while I was at the IPL otherwise I might not get a gig back there again. Warnie will have me out of a job like he tried to before this year’s IPL,” Ponting said.”I coached Rohit Sharma for a couple of years at Mumbai, I had Shikhar Dhawan for a couple of months at Delhi. I didn’t learn anything about those guys by being with them in India that I didn’t already know before.”I think I’m a pretty astute watcher of the game and, with batsmen, I’m pretty good at picking why certain batsmen are good at hitting the ball to particular areas. The way they pick up the bat, the way they hold the bat, the backlift, the foot movement – whatever it may be. So I don’t think I’ve learnt anything more about them having been a part of the IPL. It’s a different format as well obviously.”We saw a couple of days ago how good Rohit Sharma is at the top of the order for them, he’s a class player. I’m not the only one. Steve Smith’s shared dressing rooms with a lot of other players as well. As a coach, yes, I can bring some stuff, but a lot of the players in the team have played with them and against them over the years. If I can add a couple of gold nuggets, I’ll try to my best.”

Kylian Mbappe will wear the No.9 shirt at Real Madrid made famous by Bernabeu legend Alfredo Di Stefano, but only for one year.

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Mbappe to take temporary shirtPreferred jersey already takenWill get long-term number in 2025WHAT HAPPENED?

Once Mbappe officially becomes a Real Madrid player, he is expected to be unveiled as the latest wearer of the club's No.9 shirt, which was been vacant since Karim Benzema left last summer. But has reported that is just a temporary solution for a player who has become synonymous with No.7 at club level and No.10 at international level during his career.

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With Vinicius Junior locked into No.7 in the Spanish capital, Mbappe's preference is No.10. That is currently occupied by veteran midfielder Luka Modric, but with the Croatian soon to turn 39 years of age, Mbappe might only have to be a little bit patient. The expectation appears to be that Modric will get one more year added to his contract until 2025, after which the long-serving Bernabeu hero will leave the club…and vacate his number. Therefore, come 2025-26, Mbappe should be Madrid's new No.10, following in the footsteps of other former greats like Luis Figo, Clarence Seedorf, Ricardo Gallego and Ferenc Puskas.

DID YOU KNOW?

Cristiano Ronaldo used a similar tactic when he first joined Madrid in 2009, initially taking the No.9 shirt because his preferred No.7 was already occupied by club legend Raul. After one season, Raul left and Ronaldo could take over the jersey. Mbappe has never worn No.9 since his spectacular breakthrough as a 17-year-old at Monaco, but has donned 29 and 12.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

Notwithstanding his arrival at Real Madrid, Mbappe has a busy time ahead as he aims to lead France to European Championship glory for the first time since 2000. Les Bleus are among the pre-tournament favourites alongside England and hosts Germany, although Mbappe's dreams of finishing the summer by also representing his country at the Olympics on home soil are over after being left out of the squad. Madrid had earlier firmly ruled out allowing their players to compete.

Earlier this week, Celtic completed their first signing of the January transfer window with a £3m deal for Rapid Vienna winger Nicolas Kuhn, but Brendan Rodgers doesn't intend to stop there. Before the deadline, the Hoops boss also wants to add a left-back and a striker to his squad.

One candidate for the latter position is Bologna's Sydney van Hooijdonk, son of the former Celtic man Pierre, and one newspaper in Italy has even predicted that he'll make the move to Parkhead in the second half of the window.

Another is Brondby's Mathias Kvistgaarden. It's been nearly a week now since we learned that Celtic were in talks with the Danish club over a transfer, and it seems as if there's been an encouraging development in their pursuit.

Celtic take step towards Kvistgaarden deal

According to Football Insider reporter Pete O'Rourke, Celtic are "making progress" on a deal for Kvistgaarden. If the Scottish Premiership leaders receive "encouragement" from Brondby, they could launch an offer.

Meanwhile, the proposed move for Van Hooijdonk "has hit a stumbling block", because it's believed it would take at least £8m for Bologna to sell him – a fee that's "too steep" for Celtic in the mid-season market. Crucially, Kvistgaarden is expected to be available "on more favourable terms".

"Crazy" Kvistgaarden has edge over Van Hooijdonk

21-year-old Kvistgaarden has been with Brondby since 2018, racking up 81 appearances for the club, but this is the year where he's really come alive. He scored six goals and provided three assists in his last six league games at the back end of 2022/23, a "crazy" run of form in the words of talent scout Jacek Kulig, and he's carried that momentum into the current campaign with 14 direct goal contributions (seven goals, seven assists) in 21 appearances.

The youngster ranks second in the league for assists and fourth for overall goal contributions. If he keeps this up, be it at Brondby or at Celtic, it surely won't be long before he graduates from Denmark's Under-21s (for whom he's played 16 games) to the senior team.

Celtic could repeat O'Riley blinder with swoop for £1.6k-p/w "hero"

The Hoops have been credited with an interest in the Championship centre-forward.

ByDan Emery Jan 20, 2024

In light of his exploits this term, you'd expect him to arrive in Glasgow full of confidence and in peak condition, but the same can't be said for Van Hooijdonk. The Dutchman has found himself down the pecking order at Bologna, starting just two of his side's 20 league games and watching 10 matches as an unused substitute.

Given that Celtic's joint-top scorer is a midfielder in Matt O'Riley (10 goals), and Kyogo Furuhashi is the only one of their forwards to score more than seven goals this season, they need somebody who can make an instant impact in whatever capacity as they battle for the title with Rangers. There will be pressure on the new face to swiftly boost Rodgers' firepower, and Kvistgaarden looks better-placed to live up to that task. As such, it may not be the worst thing that Van Hooijdonk is out of their price range.